A highly readable, engaging, and important book.
“I’m not racist, but…”
Journalist, change-maker, advocate, and co-founder of Media Diversity Australia, Antoinette Lattouf, has taken on a big job in writing her latest book.
How to Lose Friends and Influence White People does exactly what it claims on the tin: it lays out advice, information, and encouragement to anyone who seeks in some way to push back against institutionalised racism in Australia. She speaks to both those who identify as racially diverse, and those who identify as “white”: giving advice to the former about how to stand your ground without burning out; and to the latter about how to be a better advocate, without speaking FOR.
Lattouf is well-placed to talk about these matters. Of Lebanese heritage, she has suffered her fair share of micro and macro racism, both as a child, and as an adult. But true to the radical honesty with which she approaches this subject, she also admits to times of being racist, or at least insensitive, herself.
Humour can be a great leveller, and Lattouf makes the most of this. Her witty chapter headings include “Fifty Shades of White”, “#NotAllWhiteWomen, and “1300-WHY-HELP”. The humour never detracts from, nor minimizes, the profoundly important issues she is dealing with. Her writing embraces the concept that life, and humans, are messy, flawed, silly, marvellous, and a bit crazy. Often all in the one day.
Drawing on a range of stories and scenarios from recent times, Lattouf is able to deconstruct infamous stoushes and controversies, giving a fresh take to many of them. These include Waleed Aly’s interview with AFL player Héritier Lumumba, the treatment of Adam Goodes, and even her own on-air humiliation from Kerri-Anne Kennerley when they were appearing together on Studio 10. What she makes crystal clear through many of these stories is that non-white people are given “less bandwidth in which to fail”. She contrasts the treatment, both institutional and social, of Kennerley after some grossly racist on-air statements, to that of Yumi Stynes, and Yassmin Abdel-Magied. Both women apologised immediately and unequivocally for their offensive remarks, yet received torrents of abuse on social media, and never recovered their careers, whereas Kennerley seemed to suffer almost no significant repercussions.
How to Lose Friends and Influence White People is a fascinating read, full of information, advice, and advocacy. It is undoubtedly eye-opening, even for those of us who see ourselves as very liberal-minded. Lattouf writes with passion, verve, charm, humour, and above all authenticity. Is she preaching to the choir? Absolutely. But she is helping a rag-tag, out-of-sync choir, to sing from the same hymn sheet, with various harmonies from different sections, and in such a way that choral naysayers will want to join in.
This should be compulsory reading for every Australian over the age of 12.
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Twitter: @TraceyKorsten
This review is the opinion of the reviewer and not Glam Adelaide.
Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: May 2022
RRP: $34.99
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